


Midnight Solitude and Promises

by Cherri_Pop



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, The other characters are only mentioned in literally two lines, can be seen as either platonic or romantic, i don't know how to tag help, minor spoilers for Therion's chapter 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26253073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherri_Pop/pseuds/Cherri_Pop
Summary: -"...Are you thinking about old memories?" Tressa pondered out loud.Therion crossed his arms and shifted his gaze back to the sky. He didn’t show any indication of an answer, which mildly annoyed Tressa.“Look, I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but I’m still worried about you. I know something’s on your mind, and I want to know what it is. You can’t just lock away all your emotions and expect them to disappear."-
Relationships: Tressa Colzione & Therion, Tressa Colzione/Therion
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Midnight Solitude and Promises

Tressa twisted and turned in her bed. Usually, sleep wasn’t a problem for her, but recently she was becoming more and more restless. Given how everyone was nearing the end of their journeys and the extreme dangers they were going to face, it was starting to take a toll on Tressa mentally. In fact, they were about to finish up Therion’s journey by heading to Northreach. The Frostlands were harsh and unforgiving, so they had to rest at an inn from Stillsnow until the blizzard settled down.

After a few minutes of blankly staring at the wall beside her, Tressa decided to get up on her feet and get some fresh air. It could help her collect her thoughts, and she would get to see beautiful snowy scenery as an added bonus. As she propped herself up on the bed, she glanced at a window in the room. As she predicted, the blizzard had turned into a light snowfall, so it would have been safe for her to venture outside for a bit.

Setting her feet on the floor, she made her way to the door. She grabbed a spare coat and put on her boots from beside her bed, careful not to wake Ophilia. 

Once she successfully managed to open and close the door quietly, she started to head to the lobby. Candlelit lanterns faintly lit the lobby, and Tressa managed to make out a door frame. She stepped quietly to the door and grabbed her room keys before realizing that the door was already unlocked. She tilted her head in confusion. She definitely remembered the innkeeper locking the entrance for the night. 

Having a sinking feeling in her chest, she opened the door to see if any stragglers or crooks managed to get in here. The cold breeze of Stillsnow hit her face, causing her to shiver. Her boots crunched under the snow as she stepped outside to look for any suspicious figures. Instead, Tressa spotted a certain grumpy thief leaning on the building, his gaze fixed on the sky.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Therion questioned, not bothering to move his gaze to Tressa.

"I could ask you the same thing!"

He sighed. "If you must know, I'm just collecting my thoughts."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

Tressa gave him a quick pout and glare before directing it to the entrance door. She quickly locked it with her keys before returning back to her original spot. After a few moments, she spoke.

"Next time, make sure to lock the door. We already have one thief," Tressa stated pointedly.

Therion returned her glare for a few moments before sighing into his scarf. "I'm not a thief, I'm just good at acquiring things that aren't mine."

Tressa scoffed.

Silence hovered over the two before Tressa finally gave in.

"...Aren't you going to leave already?"

"What? Do you want me to?" Therion retorted, briefly turning to look at her.

"I mean, since you're always so annoyed by me, I would think that you'd like to not be near me if possible." Tressa looked at the ground and leaned against the wall as well.

"..."

Tressa's relationship with Therion was an odd one. 

Since Tressa and Therion were together the longest, they had to deal with each other often. They always bickered and tried to make witty and sarcastic comments to the other if possible. Yet, they always stayed together despite all of that. She didn't want to back down, and neither did Therion. 

They met in Bolderfall while she was traveling through the Cliftlands. Out of the goodness in her heart, she decided to help him sneak into the manor. She didn’t agree with his talents, but if it was just to prove something, she could understand. That turned into a quest to find 3 dragon stones that have been lost from its rightful owner. Therion begrudgingly accepted Tressa to help him on his journey as he would eventually need extra protection from the monsters they faced. 

Along the way, they met a huntress, a cleric, a scholar, a warrior, a dancer, and an apothecary who all had their own journeys to complete. Tressa invited them to join her and Therion, which started the journey of a lifetime.

Tressa didn't really know how to feel about Therion. Sure, he could be pretty rude and seem distant, but something tells her that there's more to that cold exterior. She figured that being a thief had to have its hardships. 

Even throughout all of the bickering and sarcasm, she still thought of Therion as a friend or at least a companion. They went through a lot together, so she thought that warranted some sort of connection.

"...Are you thinking about old memories?" Tressa pondered out loud.

Therion crossed his arms and shifted his gaze back to the sky. He didn’t show any indication of an answer, which mildly annoyed Tressa. 

“Look, I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but I’m still worried about you. I know something’s on your mind, and I want to know what it is. You can’t just lock away all your emotions and expect them to disappear,” Tressa spoke.

Therion opened his mouth as if he had something to say but quickly closed it after. He seemed to be lost in thought, as his eyes clouded up with uncertainty.

Therion had difficulty trusting and opening up to others ever since _his_ _partner's_ betrayal. Those memories scarred him and his faith in others. He closed his feelings and emotions off from the world, trying to avoid seeming weak. His heart had hardened, and there wasn't anyone that could fix that. Well, maybe a certain stubborn young merchant could. 

Tressa was an interesting character, to say the least. She always seemed so persistent when she was passionate about something. She wanted to reach her goals and her dreams, which was something Therion couldn't do. She was different from him, and in a good way. Her unfiltered mouth and naiveté could use some work, though.

He would never admit when she did something smart that Therion couldn't, as that could build up her ego a lot bigger than it already was. Even then, he knew she just wanted to help others and to make them happy. She hasn't experienced heartbreak and betrayal, so that could be a part of the reason why she was always so willing to help.

After a while, Therion decided to tell her. He hated to admit it, but Tressa was right. He couldn't hold his emotions any longer, and it wasn't like she could use his feelings against him. He knew she would never do that. 

"Tressa, could you follow me?” He murmured.

Tressa blinked a few times, registering what Therion had requested before propping herself up and nodding. “Sure.”

Therion quickly grabbed her wrist and dragged her farther from the inn’s entrance. He didn’t want anyone else to hear what he was about to reveal to Tressa. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

After a short while of walking, they stopped near the outskirts of town. Hopefully, this area would be obscure enough. He didn’t know who could be watching, so he had to be cautious. He let go of Tressa’s wrist and turned to face her.

Tressa had many questions lingering in her head, but before she could ask any of them, Therion spoke.

"I was betrayed a few years ago by someone I trusted. We were partners in crime, so to speak. He wanted power, and he did anything he could to get that power. That ended up with him...trying to get rid of me.” 

Therion’s body tensed up as he began to explain in vivid detail how he and Darius met, and the memories he had of him before the betrayal. He talked about the events of the betrayal, and why he always seemed so cold. 

By the end of it all, he was holding back tears of anger and sadness. He avoided any eye contact with Tressa, which only fueled her worry. 

She softly placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with sympathy. Instead of an outlaw with a cold, distant stare, all Tressa could see was a broken boy who was vulnerable and hurt. Therion wanted comfort, which Tressa would willingly give.

After a few moments, Tressa pulled Therion into a tight and secure hug.

"Therion, I won't pretend to know what you're going through, but I will say this. Back in Bolderfall, when we first met, I promised you something. I promised that on my honor as a merchant I would stay by your side until you finished your journey. In fact, we all did. Primrose, Alfyn, Ophilia, Cyrus, Oberic, and H'aanit. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that we won't abandon you, no matter what. Even if for some reason they leave, I wouldn't. A good merchant keeps their promises, no matter the reason."

Tressa felt tears fall onto her right shoulder. He stayed silent, his arms completely limp. Never in a million years would Tressa had thought that she would see Therion show any emotion other than amusement and annoyance, let alone see him cry.

He continued to stay silent as Tressa kept her embrace. The snow continued to fall around them, and a few snowflakes managed to get caught in Tressa's hair and Therion's scarf. The only sound around them was their breathing.

Eventually, Therion returned the embrace and buried his head onto her shoulder.

"...Thank you."

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not make a second chapter for this, but we'll see. Also, what happened to all the Therion and Tressa fics?? I feel like their relationship deserves a bit more attention, platonic or otherwise! There's so much potential, and I'm sad there isn't much of them together. Anyway, enough of my ranting.


End file.
